1. Ch. 14, Section 2 Notes Introduction
Title: War with Mexico
Main Idea: Conflict between the United States and Mexico led to war.
Key Terms: cede, abolitionist

2. Causes of the War
Mexico never recognized the Republic of Texas and considered the USA’s annexation of Texas an insult.
Also, Mexico refused to accept the Rio Grande as the official boundary between Texas and Mexico. Instead, they insisted the Nueces River separated the country and state.

3. Causes of the War
Another problem was Mexico was angered by the USA’s efforts to expand trade by trying to acquire the Pacific port of San Francisco, then in Mexican California.
The USA offered Mexico 30 million in return for:
Mexico accepting the Rio Grande as the Mexico-Texas boundary, and if….
Mexico would cede, or give up, California and the western half of New Mexico to the USA.

4. Causes of the War
In December 1845, President Polk sent John Slidell to Mexico to negotiate the boundary dispute and offer to buy California.
The Mexican government refused to talk to Slidell and diplomatic relations broke down.
In March 1846, President Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to move his troops across the Nueces River to the Rio Grande.

5. REASONS FOR THE MEXICAN WAR
OCTOBER 1845
POLK SENDS TAYLOR
TO NUECES
BORDER
DISPUTE: RIO GRANDE OR NUECES?

6. REASONS FOR THE MEXICAN WAR
DECEMBER 1845
SLIDELL SENT TO
MEXICO – MEXICO
REFUSES TO SEE HIM
- INSULTS USA

7. War Declared
In May 1846, American and Mexican forces first clashed at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, which was in the disputed territory.
US President Polk declared Mexico had shed American blood on American soil.
Mexican President Mariano Paredes could have claimed Mexican blood had been shed on Mexican soil.
The United States declared war on Mexico on May 13, 1846.

8. REASONS FOR THE MEXICAN WAR
MARCH 1846
POLK
ORDERS
TAYLOR
TO RIO
GRANDE
MAY 1846
MEXICANS
ATTACK!

9. Taylor and Polk’s Justification for War
MAY 1846
Taylor and Polk’s Justification for War
POLK ASKS CONGRESS FOR
DECLARATION OF WAR

10. War Declared
Some members of Congress, including abolitionists, or people who worked to end slavery, questioned the American motives to possibly expand slavery.

11. SPOT RESOLUTION SOME OPPOSE MR. POLK’S WAR APRIL 1846 WHERE WASB O L I T N S
WHERE WAS
THE SPOT?

12. War Declared
Many Texans, including several companies of Texas Rangers who served as scouts, fought on the American side.
J. Pinckney Henderson, current Texas governor, took a leave of absence to command Texas troops.

13. U.S. MILITARY FAR SUPERIOR
AMERICAN STRATEGY
STRATEGY
U.S. MILITARY FAR SUPERIOR
OCCUPY TEXAS
AND NORTHERN
MEXICO
2. TAKE NEW
MEXICO AND
CALIFORNIA
3. MARCH ON
MEXICO CITY

14. United States Victory
The US forces were better equipped and better led than were their opponents.
General Taylor captured Monterrey and later defeated Santa Anna at Buena Vista.
General Winfield Scott landed at Vera Cruz and captured Mexico City in September 1847.
Women, such as Sarah Borginnis, traveled with US troops, loading cartridges and dressing wounds.

15. WINFIELD SCOTT SENT SOUTH TO MEXICO LANDS IN VERA CRUZ
ON TO MEXICO CITY
WINFIELD
SCOTT
SENT SOUTH TO MEXICO
LANDS IN
VERA CRUZ
HE PUSHES TOWARD
MEXICO CITY

16. United States Victory
The Peace Treaty at Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed on February 2, 1848.
Mexico accepted the Rio Grande as the boundary between Texas and Mexico.
Mexico ceded all territory between Texas and the Pacific Ocean, which was called the Mexican Cession. The U.S. paid 15 million for this land.
Also, Mexicans living in this area would have the rights of the US citizenship.

17. Mexico lost about half of its land. U.S. pays Mexico $15 million.
TREATY OF GUADALUPE HIDALGO
WAR HEROES
Taylor and Scott
Mexican Cession will one day be the states of:
California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico & Wyoming.
Mexico lost about half of its land.
U.S. pays Mexico $15 million.

18. The New Mexico Boundary Dispute
The question of whether Santa Fe would become part of Texas became a political issue in the US.
The people of Santa Fe preferred to be a separate territory or state.
Members of congress, led by former presidential candidate Henry Clay, helped write the Pearce Act, as part of the Compromise of 1850.

19. The Compromise of 1850

20. The Compromise of 1850
WHAT IT IS: A series of five bills that were intended to resolve problems of sectionalism between the states regarding slavery.
GOAL: To deal with the spread of slavery to territories in order to keep northern and southern interests in balance.
TERMS/PROVISIONS:
1. California annexed as a free state.
2. New Mexico and Utah were each allowed to use popular sovereignty (means=let the people decide) to pick whether the states would be free or slave.
3. Texas gave up lands that it claimed in present day New Mexico and received $10 million to pay its debt to Mexico (the New Mexico Boundary Dispute).
4. The slave trade was abolished in the District of Columbia.
5. The Fugitive Slave Act made any federal official who did not arrest a runaway slave liable to pay a fine. This was the most controversial part of the Compromise of 1850 and caused many abolitionists to increase their efforts against slavery.

21. The Compromise of 1850, con’t
TEXAS AND THE COMPROMISE OF 1850
The Compromise of 1850, con’t
Provisions of the Compromise of 1850
California became a state
Utah and New Mexico became territories
Slave trade was ended in Washington DC
Fugitive Slave Law was put into place
“Texas Question”: Texas received 10 million dollars to give up disputed territory to north and west
Getting the money helped Texas get out of debt
Texas and New Mexico Act of September 9, 1850: created Texas’ present day borders

22. The Pearce Act (of Compromise of 1850)
The US agreed to give Texas 10 million for Santa Fe and the rest of the disputed territory.
Senator James A. Pearce of Maryland introduced a bill that offered Texas $10 million in exchange for ceding to the national government all land north and west of a boundary beginning at the 100th meridian where it intersects the parallel of 36°30', then running west along that parallel to the 103d meridian, south to the 32d parallel, and from that point west to the Rio Grande.

23. The Gadsden Purchase
In 1853, the U.S. paid Mexico an additional $10 million for the Gadsden Purchase, a strip of land along the edge of present-day Arizona and New Mexico.

24. The United States Expands
Manifest Destiny